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Names are powerful.
They're one of your first looks into who someone is. Have a weak name, you'll be looked down on. Have a strong name, be feared. Have a memorable name and you'll have a brand for life.
No one understands the importance of names like Vox. While some might say it's unoriginal to name your company and all its products after yourself, Vox sees it for what it is. You will never not know who made that V-Phone, the Voxtek 1000 inch TV, VoxTok. He's made his brand his name so you'll never forget it.
Vox is a powerful name, one he chose after thinking through so many possibilities. It means Voice, and that's exactly what he tries to be. A voice for the people, or that's at least what the people think. But Vox doesn't care about the sinners, he cares about people listening to Vox. The voice people listen to.
Vincent wasn't a strong or weak name. People loved him topside, but Vincent is a weak name in Hell, and Vincent just reminds him and others of his death, the crazy TV man who died when shards of screen glass sliced through him, the sound of his screens, the fact the electricity killed all his followers with him.
Vox made the mistake of telling Alastor his real name when they met. He was new to Hell, and didn't know about the anonymity people gave themselves by changing their names. He'd stupidly told Alastor and it haunted him when he rejected his partnership offer all those years later.
The way Alastor had said his name, mocking, like the name Vincent was weak, and he was weak because he was being laughed at and had tears in his eyes.
He switched permanently to Vox after that. Built up his company, his products under his new, stronger, bolder name.
When he met Val, and later on Velvette, he only introduced himself as Vox. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again. He wouldn't let them twist his name into something pathetic the way the stupid deer had.
But years turn into decades and Vox warms to his partners. Val tells him about his abuela and Velvette mentions her first job slinging burgers. Vox gets comfortable, reveals little things about himself, too. His mom taught him how to play piano, his dad thought there was something wrong with him because he could tell you any fact about sharks.
In the dark under the covers like kids reading with flashlights Vox whispers his secret, his human name to them.
Velvette doesn't use it. She just shrugs, doesn't laugh, and doesn't blackmail him with it. She knows the importance of names and the importance of keeping them secret. Her own human name of Violet comes with its own associations, is dangerous to breathe out loud for fear of her followers from Earth finding out. Satan knows she has enemies.
Val never changed his name. He wasn't a public figure in life, wasn't on TV, didn't have social media. Sure he had his enemies, but he went by Tino, and most of those dumb fucks have already been killed down here because, well, they're dumb. Val likes his name, it's sexy and masculine and feminine at the same time. People associate a Valentino with desire, lust, love, but also something a little dangerous.
Val likes the name Vincent. He thinks it's cute. Tells Vox about how his gay awakening Vincent Whittman worked in TV, about how Val couldn't look away when he was on screen. He hasn't put the dots together yet, but Vox will tell him someday.
Where Velvette doesn't say his name and Alastor says it like it's a disease, Val makes his name sound normal, like it's just a name, there is no power or weakness to it.
When they sleep together, sometimes it'll come out.
“God, yes!, right there… oh, OH, mmm Vincent~”, he'll moan, back arching in pleasure.
It always surprises Vox, but he'll thrust harder, change the angle to get even deeper.
Sometimes Val murmurs it when he's sleepy.
“Vincent, papi, can you turn the bathroom light off, I forgot,” he says sluggishly, eyes already closed and head against his pillow.
But Vox's favorite instant is when Val mentions it happily, not in the throes of passion, not half asleep, not drunk.
When Vox surprises him with flowers, or jewelry, or sweeps him off his feet in a kiss after work.
When Val looks at him with the biggest smile, surprised eyes and says, “Vincent!”
And it holds so many meanings. You surprised me. You make me happy. You're being playful. I'm enjoying this. I love you.
And Vox can admit that maybe a boring or weak name is powerful when someone you love says it so reverently.